


Nothing Should Come Between Us

by NandaWrites



Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Drabble Collection, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hair Braiding, I'll put only one tag for each story in order so it's easy to identify and pick, M/M, Mistletoe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parabatai, Parabatai Bond, Parabatai Feels, Protectiveness, Stargazing, Tumblr Prompt, Unrequited Love, dance lessons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-05-19 00:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14863254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NandaWrites/pseuds/NandaWrites
Summary: “Mr. Herondale, please!” said Matthew. “We cannot be parted.” James braced himself for the explanation about truth and beauty, but instead Matthew said, with devastating simplicity: “We are going to be parabatai.”"Then nobody should come between you,” said Father.“Nobody.” Matthew shook his head as he said “nobody,” then nodded again. He looked seraphic. “Exactly.”A collection of Heronchild prompts I receive on Tumblr. Some are friendship, some are romantic. Check the notes for each one, pick your favourite blend and enjoy!





	1. Morning Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James is absolutely against cutting his hair, so Matthew provides him with another alternative. Based on the prompt "Concept where James lets his hair grow shoulder length and Matthew braids it for him "

“Aren’t you done yet?“ 

“Shhh, you can’t rush art, Jamie." 

"This isn’t art, Matthew, it’s just hair." 

"Of course _you_ would say that. My hair is a master piece, as you may know, so excuse me for trying to make yours look somewhat decent." 

A roll of eyes was followed by a defeated sigh. "Well, just hurry it up then. You have been brushing it forever, this way we will be late for breakfast and Mother will be mad." 

"You have a lot of hair, I have to make sure I don’t leave any loose strands, I’m sure Aunt Tessa will understand." 

"You just like to run your fingers through it because you are a hair maniac.”

“Also true. Your hair is soft and silky, I could stay here all day like this." 

James blushed, and shot an embarrassed glare through the mirror at Matthew’s laughing eyes that were hovering over his shoulder. "Why do I let you subject me to this every day, again?" 

"Because I said it was either this or I would cut off all your hair while you slept. Your mane is far too wild to be kept unkempt, you know that." 

A groan. A resigned slump of shoulders. "Just hurry it up, will you?" 

"As you wish, Jamie.” The tone carried a barely concealed laugh as skilled fingers carded through dark hair, separating strands and weaving them around each other until they formed a single braid just under the line of James’ shoulders, the work quickly done with the ease of careful routine. 

Every day they did this, every day the same line of conversation followed, and Matthew wouldn’t have it any other way.

A pat on his shoulder and James passed him the simple black ribbon, that he tied twice around the base of the braid before doing a bow. It would end up loosening anyway sooner or later, but at least like this it would last a bit longer. 

“All done. What do you think, Jamie?" 

The boy lifted his eyes and turned his head side to side to inspect the finished result, before smiling slightly. 

"It’s perfect, as always, and as I’m sure you know." 

Matthew beamed, pleased eyes meeting James’ over the mirror again before stepping back to let him get up. 

"I do, but it’s always nice to hear it. Come on now, stop stalling, breakfast is already served and I’m starving.”

James rolled his eyes and shoved Matthew’s arm as he walked past him to open his door. “I swear one of these days I will shove you down the stairs.”

To that Matthew only laughed, and passed an arm around James’ shoulders as they walked together down the hallway.

“No, you won’t, I am way too charming to die and I know you love me and would miss me terribly if you killed me”, he stated with absolute confidence and James couldn’t help but snicker. 

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Welsh." 

An offended gasp, a rough tug on his braid, and then James was indeed chasing Matthew down the stairs, his annoyance turning into laughter as they raced each other all the way to the breakfast table, almost knocking his father over in the way and gaining another member to their chase. 

James really did need to give one thing to Matthew, though: both their hairs were still perfect when they got there.


	2. Under The Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day before their parabatai ceremony, Matthew shares something special with James. Based on the prompt "We could get arrested for this."

“Remind me again,” James whispered, his voice taut and shaky in the dark and cold stone corridor he and his soon-to-be parabatai were currently walking through. “How in the name of the Angel did I let you talk me into _breaking into the Gard_? And during a Council meeting no less!”

“Don’t be silly, Jamie, we are not breaking into anything, I live here. You simply worry too much, it’s all going to be just fine.”

James glared at the back of Matthew’s blond head, careful not to lose his footing as they walked close to the wall, crouching under the windows so that the moonlight wouldn’t cast their shadows along the halls. Home to the Consul’s family or not, it was still true no underage Nephilim were allowed in the Gard during a Council meeting, and Aunt Charlotte had explicitly told them to stay at the Herondale manor. 

“If you _live here_ and we _aren’t_ in trouble, then why are we hiding and sneaking in? We could be detained for this.”

“Makes it all that much fun, doesn’t it?”, Matthew said flippantly, and James had half a mind to just turn around and leave him to get in trouble on his own, because certainly being caught and made to spend the night in the Silent City would _not_ be fun, even if Uncle Jem would be there, but then Matthew’s hand was on his arm, and his smile was turned on him, no less powerful on the dim light, and the worrying voice on the back of James’ head suddenly hushed. 

“I mean it, Jamie, you don’t need to worry, I would never let anything bad happen to you. Besides, you have _got_ to see this”, Matthew said, excited, and started walking again, taking them up another set of stairs, James still close behind him. It was insane, but Matthew’s words did calm him down, and then, again… Wasn’t this what he had always wanted? Someone to get in trouble with, to be by his side for better or for worse and him by theirs? And tomorrow at this time they would be bonded by a promise bigger than either of them. Closer than what most people could ever imagine. Two halves of a whole. _Parabatai_.

James’ heart rate picked up, the idea consuming him with excitement, but still unbearably frightening at the same time. Not for himself, but for Matthew, that would be forever bound to someone like him, that was hated and despised by his own kind, surrounded by whispers wherever he went, a dark stain he would never be able to wipe clean and that would now bleed over Matthew’s bright and golden soul, tainting him forever. 

He wondered, as he had done often the past weeks, if he wasn’t being too selfish, if he shouldn’t call this off, but Matthew had been unbearably angry at him every time he had brought the subject up. Arguing and contradicting and motivating him until for a while he could actually believe he was being silly and they would both be fine.

But the fear always came back.

He was brought out of his gloomy thoughts by Matthew suddenly whispering “We are here”, and James found himself staring at an elaborate closed door in an otherwise empty hallway. Matthew pulled out his stele, and with a flicker of his wrist drew an opening rune on the door, that unlocked with a click and drew back slightly. The boys slipped quietly through the opening and James closed the door behind them. When he turned around, he gasped.

They were on a balcony, far up on the last floors of the Gard, and under them James could see _everything_. The forest that surrounded Gard Hill, Alicante stretching out in every direction, its rivers, houses and lights like miniatures in a model, the few people he spotted on the streets as small as insects, the barrier towers glowing and rising into the sky, the forests, mountains and lakes that surrounded the city disappearing in the distance. Wind blew around him and tangled his hair and it made him feel wild, free, tall and powerful, as if all that stretched underneath belonged to him, and it was easy to see why the Consuls used to use the balcony to make public speeches, before Aunt Charlotte had shut the custom down.

Matthew poked his side, and he begrudgingly turned his head away from the scenery to look at him. He was smiling again, open and excited, and it made James smile too.

“Don’t go wasting all your wonder yet, the main event is only about to start. There it goes! Look!”

The boy pointed up and James’ gaze followed the line of his finger. If his wonder before had made him gasp, now he simply immediately stopped breathing. Stars were falling from the sky, painting bright luminescent arcs against the otherwise dark and dotted canvas over and over until they disappeared against the edge of the earth. It was beautiful, and all consuming. Being born and raised in foggy, polluted London, any glimpse of a clear sky already fascinated James, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen in his life, something he had ever only read about in his books.

Matthew tugged at his arm again and pulled him down until they were lying on the stones of the balcony, watching the paths of the stars above them. Somehow the change in perspective just made it all look even more magnificent.

When James turned his head to look at Matthew, the boy was already looking at him and he had a flashback of dark laughing eyes staring at him over the green grass of the shadowhunter academy, seconds before his whole life changed forever. He had hated the sight then, but now James would be content lying on the floor under the stars and talking with Matthew forever.

“It’s marvellous, isn’t it?”, the boy asked, to which James could only nod.

“It is… Wow. How did you know about this?”

Matthew shrugged, turning his head back up. His eyes reflected the spark of a dozen fallen stars.

“It happens from time to time. I have searched for many places to watch it from, but this is no doubt the best so far. When I heard one of the councilmen mention to Mother the stars would be falling today, I knew I had to show you. I knew you would love it, and you can’t get this view in London.”

James nodded, hearing what Matthew wasn’t saying beneath his words - he had been getting quite good at that over the past few months - that this was something precious to him. One of the only things that he had kept for himself while growing up and had not given up for the sake of other people, in order to care for someone else. Something he had been missing staying in London with James, but that was okay, as long as he got to share it with him at least this one time.

James’ throat got tight, and he sought Matthew’s hand with his, holding it over the stone floor as he looked back up at the stars that were both Matthew’s gift and silent goodbye to his home. And it was all for him, to stay by his side, and reassure him, calm him down, lift his mood and settle their promise before the official ceremony. Thinking about him even now. Matthew’s infinite kindness made his heart ache.

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” he whispered, and felt, more than saw, Matthew smiling beside him, his hand curling back against his own and holding it tight, even though he was laughing.

“Told you it would be worth getting arrested for,” he gloated, then his voice too got quieter, serious and reverential. “Tomorrow, by this hour, we will be true Parabatai. And then really nothing will be able to part us, no matter what anyone says or does, not even you, I will stay by your side always, no matter what happens, okay Jamie?”

“Okay…” he wanted to say so much more, about how he wouldn’t leave Matthew either, about how much he meant to him, that he knew that for the other love was a shackle as powerful as iron and that he didn’t have to carry that burden alone anymore… But the words wouldn’t come and Matthew seemed perfectly content by his answer, relaxing his hand and humming as the last stars crossed the sky.

They stayed there far after the sky had quieted again, talking and holding hands under the stars, and James could feel the skin on his shoulder burning, as if already predicting the mark that would cover it on the next day. Tomorrow, they would be Parabatai.

It was still terrifying, but he had never wanted anything more in his life, and with Matthew on his side, he knew they would be okay.

He could allow himself to hope, at least.


	3. A Dreamer Sees The Dawn Before The Rest Of The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It hurts, it hurts more than anything, but Matthew would never say a word, he would only smile. Based on the prompt "You are in love with her".

“You are in love with her.”

It wasn’t a question, it wasn’t even an accusation, just a casual comment shared noncommittally over the pages of a book as the two lay together on James’ bed. But still, it startled James out of his reading faster than anything Matthew had ever seen. 

James had the awful habit to get so caught up in his fantasy worlds he sometimes even forgot to breath - Matthew often had to nudge him or kick him when his own lungs started complaining for it - and nothing short than the end of the world could snap him from his reading, but that simple sentence had James’ head shooting up from behind his book, eyes wide, blinking in confusion.

“I… What? What are you saying?”

“Grace Blackthorn.” Matthew’s voice was the opposite of James’, calm and composed, a simple acknowledgement, though this was anything but simple. “You are in love with her.”

He saw James gulping, his cheeks reddening, him pulling his book slightly closer to his face as he always did when he was nervous, as if hiding himself behind it would protect him from the world. He could even see James’ toes curling uncomfortably from the corner of his eyes, as he was resting propped on the foot of the bed, opposite to James on the headboard, in their traditional way where they could read without disturbing the other, but also talk whenever they wanted to.

He almost thought he would deny it, and his insides coiled tight in anticipation, but in the end the other put his book down in his lap and nodded, face still red but honest, golden eyes boring into his. He would never do it, James would lie to anyone, but not to Matthew, never.

That was somehow worse.

Truth might have been sacred, but it was also ugly, and the simple admission tore through Matthew with a strength he hadn’t anticipated, unmaking him from the inside out, squeezing at his heart, lungs and throat. This was stupid, he had known it would be so before he had even asked, there was no reason for it to make him feel like this. But Matthew was a dreamer, fooling himself with beautiful lies was all he knew how to do, and getting crushed by the weight of dawn over and over was his continuous punishment. It was what he got for ignoring reality so stubbornly.

“How did you know?” James asked, wary, scared his secret was obvious for all the world to see, and James being scared was unthinkable, unacceptable, so Matthew did the only thing he could do, what was always expected of him: he smiled. Warmly, reassuringly. It didn’t even take effort. He had learned to smile over his feelings when he was very young, over sadness, exasperation or rage; it seemed like it was just as easy to smile through his heart breaking in pieces.

“How could I not know, Jamie?”, he replied airily, flashes of memories passing through his mind: the way James talked about her, the way he _didn’t_ talk when the Blackthorn issue arose in conversations of their families, the way he had looked at her the couple of times in the past years when they had spotted her with Tatiana in Idris, the way he always narrowed his eyes in a crowd, hopeful to see her and disappointed when he didn’t. The smile on his face that very morning, when they were by the lake and it did turn out to be her. It hurt, so Matthew smiled wider. “I am your parabatai, it’s my job to know these things.”

James seemed a bit relieved, but still guilty and panicked, so Matthew moved, crawling through the bed to sit by his side as the other stuttered. 

“It’s not- I can’t- She doesn’t… It’s complicated.” He finished, exasperated, eyes wide and lips in a tight line. It was more than a simple secret crush then, Matthew deduced, and thought, that more than anything in the world, he really didn’t want to hear any more about this. But his hand was already on James’ shoulder and his mouth was curved on a reassuring smile.

“Hey, Jamie… It’s okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise I won’t tell anything to anyone, I swear on the Angel, you can trust me.”

“I know.” He looked startled by Matthew’s intensity, but soon he smiled back, small and thankful. “I know, of course, thank you, Matthew. I didn’t mean to keep this from you, it’s just, sometimes you carry a secret for so long, it seems like your whole world will shatter if you part from it. I… Can I really tell you? You wouldn’t mind?”

Ah, there it was, the truth wasn’t only ugly, it was also cruel. Matthew shook his head. “Of course not, Jamie, you can tell me everything. Always.”

So James did, his words first reluctant and low, and then all at once in a desperate flurry, the gates of a flood burst open with the slightest nudge. 

And Matthew listened, and encouraged him.

And through all of it, he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine they are around 16-17 years old here, before whatever it is that happened that made James act as he does in Midnight Heir. The title and that last bit of paragraph 9 were inspired by the following quote, I think it suits Matthew rather well:
> 
> “A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” - Oscar Wilde


	4. Under The Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew and James have to help prepare the ball room for the traditional yearly Christmas celebration of the London Institute. James is not happy, but Matthew has a way to make it better.
> 
> Because it’s not a true ship until there’s an obligatory “kiss under the mistletoe” Christmas time fanfic.

Matthew dived into one of the large boxes spread around the ballroom of the London Institute and came out of it with his arms full of ornaments that he put on the nearby table. The yearly Christmas party of the Institute was coming close and Aunt Tessa had enlisted everyone’s help to set up the tree and the rest of the rooms so he and James were currently busy putting up balls and ribbons along the columns and arches of the ceiling, the other perched on the top of the stairs and Matthew handling him over the ornaments to hang.

It was a lot of work, and it demanded a lot of trips up and down stairs and a lot of pushing it from one side to the other, but in spite of that and of James’ bad mood, Matthew couldn’t be more jolly. Christmas was a decidedly mundane holiday, and as such it wasn’t celebrated in Idris, so when he had spent his first winter in the Institute with the Herondales and got to see the whole city light up with bright lights and decorations for the first time, it had made him so enchanted it had quickly become his absolutely favourite holiday of all.

He loved helping setting up the tree and the common rooms of the Institute and seeing the whole place come to life with the magic. James and Lucie always teased him about how he seemed like a child whenever Christmas was involved, to which he always replied that their lack of wonder was the reason why he always got more presents than them every year, always a great way to make them shush.

He climbed up the stairs on the opposite side of James and handed him the other end of the ribbon they had to tie around the column, smiling at him. “This is the last one and then we are done with this side.”

”Finally”, James whined, tying the ribbon in place while Matthew held it steady. “You think Mother would allow us to take a break now? We are halfway done, I am sure we deserve a break.” 

Matthew scoffed. “Of course we can take a break. This isn’t a punishment, we are just helping.” 

“Of course _you_ would think like that.” 

“I do think like that, and I am always right, therefore…”, he trailed off with a mischievous smile, laughing when James rolled his eyes and pulling back a bit to look at the work they had already done. The saloon looked beautiful, and it would be even better the next day at the party, with everything in place and everyone there, the music and the dancing and the food and the laughter. He sighed happily and tilted his head back, and that’s when he spotted something peculiar hanging from the arch right above them.

”Jamie, is that a mistletoe?”

”Huh? Where?”

“There. Right above us.” 

He saw James’ eyes follow the path he had pointed out and then look back at him. Even more interesting, he saw him blush and then avert his eyes back to the ribbon, fixing the knot that was by all means already perfect.

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

“Did you put it there?”

“What? No!”, he protested, cheeks getting even redder. “It was probably my father, he has been hanging them all around the house in order to “trick” mother into kissing him everywhere. He thinks he is so clever.”

“Oh,” Matthew hummed appreciatively, thinking uncle Will was rather clever indeed. He leaned forward over the top of the stairs, crossing into James’ side. “Well, you know what that means, don’t you? It means we have to kiss now.” 

“What!?”, James almost choked, pulling back and looking around desperately to see if no one had noticed his high-pitched exclamation, but it seemed like they were the only ones in the ball room now. “Why!? No, it doesn’t!”, he replied with finality, but he made no move to go down the stairs. All the while Matthew smiled innocently.

“Why, of course it does. It’s the law of the mistletoe: if two people stand under it, they have to kiss.”

It was James’ turn to scoff now. “That’s in no way a law, you just want an excuse to kiss me.”

“So are you saying you _don’t_ want to kiss me?”

“No, that’s not-”, James blushed, then sighed, knowing he had walked himself right into that one. “Fine.” 

Matthew beamed. With one more look around to make sure no one else was there, James crossed the bit of distance that there still was between them and left a soft peck on Matthew’s lips. The pull back lasted only a second before their mouths were meeting again, Matthew tilting his head and gently parting James’ lips with his own, them fitting together with the familiarity born of several other secret kisses.

Suddenly, James groaned, dropping his head and hiding his face in the edge of the stairs.

“You hung the mistletoe there, didn’t you?”, he noted in resigned understanding, to which Matthew opened up one of his best smiles.

“Yes, I did.”

James had nothing he could do but groan again.


	5. On Nimble Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew has offered to serve as dance tutor for James and Lucie, and James is less than thrilled. Based on the prompt "Matthew teaches James to dance (in the style of Herbert teaching Pip in "Great Expectations")" (I watched the scene on the show like 300 times to write this so it's an important specification)

The sound of classical music and laughter filled the normally empty ballroom. The deep, fast chords of a waltz were coming from the old fashioned gramophone set on one of the corners of the room, while the laughter was coming from Lucie and Matthew, chatting excitedly as they twirled and moved graciously around each other, dancing together as if they had been doing so their whole lives, and not just a couple of weeks.

James scowled harder behind the book he was currently reading, trying his best to ignore everything that was happening around him. This was all stupid. And pointless. And he refused to take part in it.

The music lowered and came to an end, being replaced by the dull sound of the needle scratching against nothing, and Matthew and Lucie separated with a bow, her going over to put the needle back at the start and Matthew walking over to him, pushing his hair back from his face. James sunk further behind his book.

“Come on, Jamie, it’s your turn now.”

“No.”

“But Jamie…”

“I said no.”

“Mother is not going to be pleased when she finds out you have been skipping out on the dance lessons,” Lucie berated him from across the room, always a fierce thing. The music started up again. “Me and Matthew can not cover for you forever. It will be glaringly obvious you haven’t taken the lessons when we go to a party and you make a fool of yourself in front of everyone.”

James gritted his teeth. “I will not make a fool of myself, because I will not dance with anyone, at any parties, ever.”

“Now, don’t say that, Jamie,” Matthew pulled himself up on the table beside James, nudging him lightly with his shoulder. “Dancing is a beautiful art form and it’s terribly fun, I am sure you will like it once you try it.”

James glared at him over the rim of his glasses, it had absolutely no effect on Matthew whatsoever.

“That’s easy for you two to say, when you dance like… That. I can’t do it, I will trip on my own two feet, and it’s going to be pathetic, so no, thank you.”

Lucie rolled her eyes so hard James found it a miracle they didn’t roll out of her head. He thought about telling her that that was unlady-like, but then she put her hands on her waist and narrowed her eyes and she reminded him so much of their Mother then that he thought better of it.

“That’s why it’s called dance _lessons_ , Jamie. No one is good when they first start out. I stepped on Matthew’s toes the first two days and I am sure he tripped on his feet multiple times when he was taking his lessons in Idris, you are not going to be good unless you practice.”

Matthew was nodding his head along, but all they got from him was a skeptical look. He didn’t remember Lucie stepping on anyone’s toes and he was fairly certain Matthew had never tripped or been bad at anything in his life. Ever.

His parabatai could sense that they were fighting another lost battle, and sighed deeply by his side. James thought that was the end of it for the day and they would leave him alone at last, but instead Matthew said:

“I hate to do this, Jamie, I really do. But I promised Aunt Tessa and Uncle Will that I would give both of you proper lessons so they wouldn’t have to spend the money on an instructor, and if you won’t cooperate then I will have to tell them, and then they _will_ have to hire the tutor and _you_ will end up having to dance with a sixty year old lady that smells of cats and mold. So it’s really your choice which one you prefer.”

James gaped at him, not believing in such a betrayal, as Lucie did little effort to hide her giggles behind her hand.

“You wouldn’t…”

“I would rather not to, but you are leaving me no choice. It’s me and Lucie, or the expensive ancient cat lady. You choose.”

He smiled at the end, as if he wasn’t just blackmailing James into taking the stupid lessons, and for the first time since the beginning of their year at the Academy, the sight of it made James grumpier instead of cheering him up.

“Fine,” he finally conceded, snapping his book closed in annoyance and turning to Lucie. “But if you laugh or pull faces we are stopping.”

“I would never-”, she started, but was interrupted when Matthew cleared his throat.

“Hm, actually, Luce, would you mind stepping out for today? We can pick our lessons the three of us back up tomorrow,” Matthew was smiling like always, but James thought he spotted a slight nervousness on him, as if he wasn’t sure Lucie would trust his request, but it was gone when she smiled back and James thought he might have imagined it.

“Oh, very well, I am behind on the next chapter of my story to send to Cordelia, anyway. I will see both of you at dinner,” she waved and ran out, closing the heavy doors behind her as she left. The moment they clicked shut, Matthew nudged him with his shoulder again, and this time he smiled back. Even if it was just his little sister, he did feel better now that there wouldn’t be anyone else aside from Matthew there to see him trip on his own feet and make a fool of himself. He knew Matthew wouldn’t mock him no matter how bad he did at it.

The music played lowly on the background as Matthew repeated for him the small set of instructions he had given them on the first day: one step forward, one step to the side, close and repeat, it’s a box movement, keep your back straight, elbow up and chin up. Even dancing on his own, with an arm hugging the air and going slow so James could pick up the movement, he was more graceful than James could ever hope to be. It would be thoroughly unfair if it wasn’t just so mesmerising to watch.

James knew his parents were good dancers, had seen Father pull Mother up from her seat and dance with her around the living room multiple times, but it seemed that this was yet another thing he hadn’t inherited from them. Even on his own, he was fumbling and getting confused with the steps, Matthew correcting him from time to time. It seemed like forever before the other finally told him he could stop and went over to the gramophone to remove the needle from the record and stop the music. James grimaced behinds his back.

“Okay, Jamie, good. That was really good! Oh, don’t make that face, it really was! You really ought to have more confidence in yourself. Now, I was going to have you dance with Lucie, but alas it’s only the two of us today so we will have to make do. I will be your fair maiden for the evening, ”, he declared and put both his hands on his sides, curtsying as if he was holding on to the skirts of an imaginary dress. James laughed.

“You are a far cry from being a maiden, and even more so from being fair,” he teased, and laughed more as Matthew gasped and put both his hands over his heart as if James had wounded him.

“That’s hurtful, James, it’s really hurtful. I’m hurt. I’ll have you know there is no one in this land as fair as me. It’s even in my name, I am a Fair Child. I am the fairest of them all. Now enough with your pish posh and come here and put your left hand on my fair waist and your right hand on my fair hand.”

Matthew started the music up again and James was still chuckling as he walked over to him and did as he was told and that helped ease his nerves, as he was sure Matthew knew it would. The other was still a bit taller than him, but they were so used to training and being together that they knew how to fit against each other so it wasn’t awkward. At least, not while they were standing still and Matthew was smiling encouragingly at him.

“Okay, Jamie, on my count. 1, 2, 3.”

James moved, putting his foot forward, and on top of something that was definitely not the floor. Matthew winced momentarily and then smiled reassuringly.

“That was my foot,” he explained, calmly, but even if he seemed like it didn’t bother him, James stepped back quickly, blushing furiously.

“Oh, Angel, I’m so sorry. See? That’s why I didn’t want to-”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Jamie, it happens, don’t worry about it. Just remember you start with the right foot, okay?”

“…Okay…”

“Marvellous, let’s start again. No, don’t look down, you have to keep your head up, Jamie, look at me.“

James pursed his lips.

“But if I don’t look it’s going to happen again…”

“Don’t fret over that, I told you it’s okay. If I let you look now you will keep the bad habit, you just need to be confident. Don’t look down, just look at me.”

He nodded, still a bit unsure, but once Matthew counted again he did as he was told, focusing on Matthew’s dark green eyes as they started to move and his slow counting of the tempo. The first step went well, and the second, and the third, then James couldn’t remember which side he was supposed to turn to and he fumbled. He felt another lump under his foot and Matthew declared, again.

“That was my foot, again, but don’t worry Jamie, you are doing great!” He was smiling brightly once more, but it was clear it was pleased rather than mocking and James found himself smiling back, even if it was small, “The movement goes counter clock-wise, ok? So let’s try again. 1, 2, 3, elbow up, 1, 2, 3…”

They started again, and this time, surprisingly, it was Matthew that made a mistake. Clearly more used to leading than following, he stepped forward when he was supposed to move backward and they both knocked against each other, letting out ‘oof’ as they got a bit breathless. This time Matthew laughed, sending James a comical look and an ‘oops’, and James laughed with him, the rest of the tension on his shoulders dissipating. There was really no need to be nervous, after all.

They continued dancing, and, with the pressure gone, James did find out that he could indeed dance much better than he had imagined. He barely made mistakes anymore, and even when he did they just laughed it off and continued, like when he tried to twirl Matthew for the first time and almost sent him spiralling to the floor from the force of it (”We are dancing, Jamie, not sparring, Geez!”).

In spite of all his grievances, he found that Matthew was right: dancing really was fun, specially the way they were doing it, with chatting and laughing in between, and James could barely remember what he had been so worried about to begin with. Matthew was an excellent tutor, and very thorough. Easy going lesson or not, he did make James go through the dance three times from start to finish without any mistakes before he was satisfied.

They stopped after the end of the final movement, the needle scraping on the record and their laboured breaths the only sound in the room, and James looked into Matthew’s eyes again, that face most dear to him that was beaming with pride from what James had accomplished and he felt his heart soar. For a moment there was something… But then Matthew blinked and whatever that had been was gone. He took a step back and curtsied with his fake dress again and James bowed back at him before they were hugging each other and laughing, spirits light from the fun and the success. 

“Your hair is a mess,” Matthew chuckled. “You did great, Jamie, absolutely splendid! I am so proud of you!”

“Well, you should see yours!” he teased back, even if he knew that, if Matthew was looking disheveled, he probably was a mess beyond salvation. “Thank you. That really wasn’t so bad at all. I can’t wait to show Lucie tomorrow. And it was so quick too, if you had told me that sooner I wouldn’t have struggled so much. I’m glad we can wrap this up now.”

Matthew laughed a very weird laugh and smiled widely, and James felt his stomach sinking to his feet once more. “Oh, Jamie, you didn’t really think that was all, did you? No, that was just the basic movement from one of the kinds of dances I need to show you, we are only getting started, there will still be many more dance lessons to come.”

“What?! You are kidding!”

“Nope.” The smacked sound of the word was very self satisfied and James hid his face in his hands again, groaning.

Forget all that nonsense, he still hated the dance lessons.


	6. Surrounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew was always trying to take care of everyone, but who takes care of him? Based on the prompt "Protective".

James had asked Matthew once why he was always so adamant about taking care of everyone. He had heard the story of a six year old boy and an innocent mother’s request and how that boy had taken the request to heart, growing up and finding out he was not only good at taking care of people, but he really enjoyed it too. He had remembered how he had done so for them at the academy and he watched as day by day he continued to do it for everyone: his parents, Thomas, Christopher, himself, Lucie, even Anna when he found a way to. He listened and watched and remembered and once again he thought:

_But who takes care of you?_

So he decided he would. That’s what parabatai were for, after all, weren’t they? To cover for each other’s weaknesses, to watch for each other and protect each other in battle and out of it against everything. He set out to it with the stubborn and decisive way he always reserved to the most important things in life.

It was sometimes a difficult task. Matthew was well-liked and generally didn’t seem like he needed anyone’s help for anything, but it didn’t take long for James to realise the thing Matthew most needed protection from was himself. Busying himself on taking care of others, he often forgot to take care of himself, and it wasn’t unusual that James had to remind him to eat when they were in the club or to drink water and rest after they trained.

He also realised that, as often as Matthew boasted about his abilities on anything, he also put himself down just as much. He wasn’t smart like Christopher, dedicated like Thomas, creative like James, useful like his brother, amazing like his mother, special like his father. It broke James’ heart.

He tried telling him, showing him how amazing he was as often as he could, but he didn’t think Matthew really believed him. He had gotten him a puppy for his birthday so he would have someone to cheer him up and protect him when James wasn’t near. He thought he would manage it eventually,

And then Aunt Charlotte had almost died, and protecting Matthew got that more complicated and urgent. He didn’t seem like himself anymore, James’ attempts to cheer him up just passed right through him or produced a fake smile and a fake answer that broke his heart even further. He also started doing things that were much more dangerous than before.

Matthew was out almost every night now, going to parties or downworlder revelries, without him. Drinking. Mixing with the wrong crowd. He often came back with clothes askew and marks James had to iratze off him before morning came. He didn’t want to talk about them. He refused to let James go out with him.

One night, the marks had been different. Strikes and fists, rather than love marks. Matthew had wanted to talk about them even less, so James had to get creative. He found out where he had been the night before and threatened the owner for the whole story until he could locate the responsible, beating him double for every mark he had seen on Matthew’s face. He left a warning, a promise of divine punishment from the Clave if anyone ever touched him again. Matthew had been mad. He refused that more vehemently to let James go with him and fought and escaped him when he tried to follow.

Then it turned out, downworlders and alley fights or his own troubled feelings weren’t the worst things James had to protect him from. Once more, his own peers shocked and failed James beyond what any demon could.

Matthew wasn’t like James - he wasn’t cursed, a demonic presence - he was the best of what the nephilim had to offer, he was kind and friendly to anyone, he used to be well liked by all, and it turned out not even that had protected him. Matthew believed that love couldn’t be wrong, that it shouldn’t be contained by arbitrary rules. He, like Anna, didn’t let others tell him who he could show his affections to or not. And that was all it had taken for the admiration that used to accompany Matthew’s name to vanish under scorn and disgust.

Now gossip and mean looks followed him during gatherings and it made James sick, all this prejudice without reason that seemed to follow his family and all the people he cared about for daring to be different, for daring to love.

There weren’t enough patches of river in London for him to throw all of them in, though he had tried. He had argued and he had fought every time he had heard a mean word directed at his parabatai, but he knew it wasn’t enough. The words wouldn’t stop, the hate wouldn’t stop, and Matthew just seemed to drift further and further away from him, closing up, refusing to talk even about the small ugly things in his soul he used to before.

More and more he felt desperate and useless, knowing that he couldn’t protect Matthew from anything in the end.

But, by the Angel, he would never stop trying.


	7. Keeping you on my lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking Matthew up from a night out turns into so much more than James could have ever dreamed of. Based on the prompt "I can't keep kissing strangers and pretending that they are you."

The noise inside the bar was deafening, the disharmonious cacophony of loud music, high laughter and shrieking voices piercing through his ears and making James really understand why it was called the _Devil’s_ Tavern.

His eyes roamed through the crowd, searching for a particular voice, a specific outfit, a flash of familiar blond hair, and it wasn’t that hard to find it at all. As always, Matthew was in the center of everyone’s attention, conducting a quick and fiery dance on top of one of the large tables, drawing everyone in like moths to a bright light. A vampire boy was dancing with him, and they were twirling around each other in mesmerising moves, almost sinful, definitely too close to each other, and James told himself the burning feeling inside of him was protectiveness over his parabatai.

Protectiveness, protectiveness. It was only protectiveness that made James surge forward when the boy took hold of Matthew’s chin and kissed him. The crowd cheered, but he thought he saw the corner of Matthew’s mouth curl in displeasure and that was unacceptable. The kiss ended before he could push all the way through the crowd, though, and Matthew was once again laughing and smiling when they parted. As James watched, he wove his hand on the vampire’s black hair and kissed him again to more cheers of the crowd and James stopped dead on his tracks. He had probably imagined the displeased expression on Matthew’s face, then. His parabatai didn’t need protecting.

But something inside him still burned.

He finished crossing the crowd the moment Matthew ended the kiss once more, bowing and jumping from the table back onto the floor. He wobbled onto his feet, and James reached out to hold and steady him automatically, causing the other to look up at him, his dreamy expression getting a bit more focused and morphing into a big smile when he noticed it was James. He wished the warmth in that smile didn’t feel like such a punch in the gut.

“Jamie! You are here! Hey, everyone, it’s Jamie!”

Matthew passed an arm around him and the crowd around them cheered once more. He doubted any of them cared at all about him or even knew who he was, but that was the power of Matthew: when he was happy, everyone around him got happy too.

“What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to go out tonight.”

“I didn’t. But it’s late, and you weren’t coming back, so I thought I’d come check up on you. It’s what good parabatais do, right?”

He thought he felt Matthew’s arm go rigid around him, but he was laughing again, so maybe he was still imagining things. But he couldn’t shake off the feeling something wasn’t right.

“You are so nice, Jamie. But you didn’t need to worry! I’m great! I’m having fun! Come have a drink with me!”

“I think you have had enough drinks.” He laughed, starting to walk Matthew to the exit when a voice interrupted them:

_“Going so soon, mon cher? I was hoping to catch more of your sweet kisses.”_

Matthew’s posture went rigid around him and this time James was sure he wasn’t imagining things. He turned them around and was met with the face of the vampire Matthew had been dancing with before, smiling at them amicably. From this close, the boy’s dark long hair and brown eyes gave James whiplash, as if looking in a fun house mirror.

_“Unfortunately, it seems like my bed and my pyjamas are calling for me. But perhaps one day we will meet again.”_

_“Ah, sadly I am departing back to France tomorrow, but if your perfect French is anything to go by, perhaps we will indeed meet again. Be sure to ask for Claude Dubois when you visit.”_

_“I will.”_

James didn’t understand the fast French of their conversation, but the vampire bowing to leave a kiss on Matthew’s hand and his parabatai’s smile and answering laugh were impossible to miss, which made no sense considering he could still feel his body rigid against his. It bothered him, far beyond the burning feeling of the vampire’s lips touching Matthew again. Just how many secrets did Matthew hide behind his smile and happy demeanour? For how long now has James been assuming he was happy in times when he wasn’t?

“Come on, time to go home.”

He didn’t care if he interrupted them rather rudely. This wasn’t right, Matthew wasn’t comfortable, and it was his duty to protect him from anything. He ignored the glare from the vampire in his direction and turned them around to the direction of the exit, but when they were almost there Matthew started pulling him in another direction. Shaking his head.

“Matthew, I’m taking you _home_.”

“Jamie, wait. Can’t go home. There was a… a… meeting of something something with the Inquisitor, Mama and Charles would still be awake. Can’t go home.”

It was spoken as a nonchalant fact, but it was still a heartbreaking sentence.

“Then the Institute…”

“I don’t want to… be a bother. Come to the club room, the couch is nice. I picked, picked a nice one.”

“Okay…”

Silently, he helped Matthew up the stairs to their club room. Far from the crowd and the noise, Matthew seemed to deflate a bit, not as bubbly as before, but he was giggling to himself when James put him down on the couch and he grabbed and pulled at James until he sat down too, so Matthew could lie his head on his lap.

“Best pillow,” he giggled, before going quiet. A while passed with them in the dark, only the moon and street lights coming through the windows to clear the room, but even if Matthew’s breathing was deep and he hadn’t startled when James had started to caress his hair, somehow he knew he wasn’t sleeping, he could feel it. Eventually, James caved to the uneasiness inside of him and asked:

“That vampire, before… Did you know him?”

“No.”

“Did you like him?”

“No…”

“…Did you want to kiss him?”

A long silence stretched before Matthew answered: 

“…No… But don’t- don’t be mad at him, he didn’t know… I said I did, and I always- I didn’t mind.”

James swallowed the jealousy that climbed up his throat once again at the unspoken words: that this was something that Matthew always did. He liked kisses, and James knew he had kissed many times before, and even if he knew Matthew didn’t think about him that way and he could do whatever he wanted… it still hurt.

“Then why? Why did you kiss him if you didn’t want it?”

“Because… Because he looked like… Jamie…”

James’ heart hammered in his chest, but his brain immediately shut down the hope. He didn’t mean him, of course not, he had started talking and then switched in the middle of the sentence to call him, that was it. Matthew’s eyes were open now, staring straight up at him.

“Jamie, I’m tired…”

“Oh…” He swallowed the disappointment at being proved right. “Of course, and I keep asking you questions, I’m sorry, I will let you sleep-”

“No.” Matthew cut him, and his voice was firmer now, one of his hands curling on James’ jacket. ”I’m tired of… I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they are you. I can’t, I… Even if you hate me, just, one time, I want…”

James’ entire being had short circuited, hearing Matthew’s words, but not really comprehending them, unable to believe, and the next thing he knew Matthew’s lips were pressed against his own, gentle but warm and deeply sweet as the other boy had said. James had no idea what he was doing, but the thought of the other spurred him on: he pressed firmer against Matthew, his hand moving to the back of his head to keep him in place and the gasp that left the other was the most exquisite sound he had ever heard.

Their mouths moved together, their breaths in sync, as if they had done it before, as if they were always meant to be. He wanted to erase that other kiss from Matthew’s mind, from existence, and make it so their kiss was the only one he remembered from that night, the only one that mattered, he wanted to kiss him over and over again until he erased all the other kisses that had come before too. His soul was soaring, never before in his life had he felt so right and so powerful. There was magic surrounding them, and it was deeper than his shadow heritage, deeper even than the parabatai bond, it was heavenly, and James couldn’t believe they had wasted so much time denying themselves that; he never wanted to lose this feeling again.

When they finally parted, Matthew’s blown pupils and his expression told him he felt the same way he did and it was the best feeling in the world.

“Jamie… By the angel, Jamie.” He let out a low, startled laugh, and this time James could tell it was genuine.

“ _Mathew_ ” He called him, and he could see Matthew shiver at it, at the new deep meaning they were adding to it. “You know I could never be mad at you. You are half my soul, the light of my life, I’ve been dreaming about this every time I see you. How could you not know?”

“I don’t, I didn’t, I don’t… Deserve it, so I didn’t think it could ever be true. Is it really true? Or am I dreaming? I must be dreaming.”

“If you are dreaming, so am I. It’s late, we probably should… Talk more about this in the morning, when we both know we aren’t dreaming.”

Matthew chuckled and smiled, one of his real smiles, and James didn’t know how he could have ever mistaken the two, he wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“If you are still here in the morning, I will know I am not dreaming. Do me a favour before that, please?”

“Yes?”

“Dream or not a dream, would you kiss me one more time?” Matthew asked, hand already pulling at James’ coat again, and he smiled against his lips, both drowning in happiness.

“As many times as you wish,” and that was a promise he was intent on keeping forever.


	8. Mischief Managed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Random and lighthearted S4 shenanigans in Hogwarts! Based on the prompt "I was wondering if you could do something of a crossover with the TLH kids in a Hogwarts setting like them sorted or something."

“I am telling you all, this is outrageous, absolutely outrageous!”

“Mr. Fairchild!”

“It is a rotten, perverted, deeply flawed system and we should not have to put up with it!”

“Mr. Fairchild, get down from the breakfast table right this instant!”

“Who are them to squeeze down our personalities and minds into four measly categories for their own convenience? What about the complexity of the human soul? What about our freedom of choice?”

“Mr. Fairchild, I am warning you. Get down right now or it will be 100 points from Gryffindor!”

“The fact we are forced to swear fealty to a house based on the whims of a hat is a noxious and absurd notion, everyone!”

“As you wish, Mr. Fairchild. Get down right now or it will be 150 points from Gryffindor _and_ Hufflepuff!”

“I have to say, while I am at it, that this despotic attitude allowed to all our teachers is absolutely preposterous, professor McGonagall.”

Thomas whimpered and hid his face in his hands, fearing for the future both of his friend and the Hufflepuff house. Him, like many other students, were gathered on the entrance of the Great Hall, having come down for breakfast only to be impeded by the fight - and by consequence very amusing show - between Matthew and the teachers. It had been an almost daily occurrence all throughout their first weeks at school and now it was just rare enough to remain amusing.

“This is a _disaster_ ,” he whined. “He is going to make all the houses lose points again. Is that even a thing? I don’t think any student before managed to lose points for all the houses on his own, and he is about to accomplish it _twice_.”

“Well, that isn’t so bad then, is it?” Asked his cousin Christopher, by his side, making Thomas’ eyes bulge. The boy was one of the smartest in the Ravenclaw house even on his first year and yet he seemed to miss the importance of the simplest things. “If everyone loses points then everyone stays the same and it’s all good, right?

“No, it’s not, it’s very, very bad.” He looked anxiously at where Matthew was still arguing with professors McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick and… Was that Snape coming from the teacher’s table? Oh, no. “Where is Jamie? Jamie usually gets him under control. He will get a detention like this.”

“Hm? He said he wasn’t feeling well this morning and went to the Hospital Wing.”

Oh, what a real disaster. Unless… Thomas bolted through the crowd, sneaking between the older students until he got as close as possible to where Matthew was perched on the Gryffindor table. His sudden arrival attracted the attention of the teachers to him, but he ignored his nerves and pressed on.

“Matthew! He, hm, James is asking for you at the Hospital Wing. He said it’s urgent.”

He felt bad for the fear he saw on Matthew’s eyes at that. He didn’t think through how an urgent matter on the Hospital Wing would sound.

“Is everything alright with Mr. Herondale, Mr. Lightwood?”

“Yes, Prof. Sprout! I mean, it’s just, hm, it’s just, we have to go!”

He grabbed Matthew’s hand and pulled him from the table, running between the two tables and past the entrance doors before the teachers could say anything else. It hadn’t been the most elegant save they had ever done - that’s why they usually let it to James to come up with the plans - but at least it had worked without anyone losing points. Some students cheered, but he paid them no mind. He grabbed Christopher’s arm on the way and only stopped until they were a safe distance away, stopping to take a breath.

“Why are we stopping, Tom? I thought Jamie was calling.”

“He is fine! I was just trying to help you and it was the first thing that came to mind, I’m sorry. But must you still do that every week, Matthew? I thought you were okay with being put in Gryffindor now.”

Matthew sniffed.

“While I admit they aren’t as much of boorish brainless idiots as I thought, I will never accept the fact I have to be stuck here instead of in Hufflepuff like my father as I wanted. Do you have any idea what it’s like for me everyday? ‘Oh, Mr. Fairchild, your brother got that spell down on the first try. Oh Mr. Fairchild, let me show you the Quidditch trophy with your brother’s name in it for the uptenth time. Oh, Mr. Fairchild-’ Bah! Charles Bufford isn’t even in the school anymore, give me a break.”

Thomas winced, with two older sisters in the same house as him he definitely could relate, but before he could say anything, Matthew shook off his annoyance and continued:

“Well, if Jamie isn’t in the Hospital Wing then where is he?”

“No, he is in the Hospital Wing, but it’s nothing serious. Christopher said he wasn’t feeling well when he woke up so he went. We can probably still go visit him since we won’t be able to have breakfast anymore.”

“We are not having breakfast?” Christopher seemed distraught, Matthew pat his head.

“Let’s go find Jamie, we will figure something out. I think I still have some chocolate frogs from home.”

They continued on their way, the discussion shifting from breakfast to their classes to Quidditch and a myriad of other subjects as they saw fit. In the end, they didn’t even have to go as far as the Hospital Wing to find James. When they turned into a corridor the other was coming from the other direction and he smiled when he saw them. Matthew smiled back.

“Jamie! Are you okay?”

“Yes, I had a bit of a headache but Madam Pomfrey gave me some medicine and now it’s gone. What are you guys doing here?”

“Matthew was starting a riot at breakfast _again_ and I told the teachers you were calling to get him out of there.”

“Oh, very clever. Nice save.”

“It wasn’t nice, it was mortifying! Please don’t go missing during breakfast again.” Then, as if realising he was focusing on the wrong issue, he added to Matthew. “And you please stop fighting with the teachers during meal times!”

“I am not fighting, I am standing up for what I believe in so I shall not stop. I already got them to agree to let me eat at other tables and other students are doing it too, so maybe i should do something bigger now. Maybe with some explosive potions and dung bombs.”

“I can make explosive potions!” Christopher perked up. 

“And I know where to get dung bombs,” James added.

Thomas hid his face in his hands again.

“Stop! Stop enabling him. You are enablers. That is a terrible idea.” 

They laughed and James passed an arm around him. “Don’t worry, Tom, we are just kidding. We still have the problem of what are we going to do for breakfast now that we can’t go to the Hall. I was really looking forward to the Cauldron Cakes, you know?” 

He elbowed Matthew with his free arm and the boy laughed.

“I vote for a nice picnic by the lake. Let’s enjoy the Saturday with some sun and books and food and swimming.” 

“Don’t you have homework for Monday?” 

“Potions, Transfiguration and History of Magic, but now isn’t the time to think about homework, Jamie. Our young minds need to relax and have fun or we will become as dull as our teachers. Homework can be done later.”

“I think that’s nice. I was wanting to get a closer look at the giant squid, anyway. But we still don’t have food.” Christopher pointed out.

“Beg one of our colleagues to smuggle food out for us?” 

“Too messy. Besides, they would never be able to carry enough food for all of us.”

“Summoning charm?”

“You can’t just _summon_ food out of the Great Hall, Matthew, it’s enchanted against it. Imagine the chaos.” 

“Besides, do you know any summoning charms?”

“No, I thought any of you Ravenclaws would. But at least I’m giving ideas, aren’t you our great plan maker, Jamie? Why don’t you think of something?”

“I’m _trying_ , but it’s hard, if at least we had a way of getting into the Kitchens…”

“Oh! We do!”

Thomas flinched slightly again when the other three suddenly turned their heads and attention back to him. He had been enjoying watching their banter and had just planned to wait until they sorted themselves out, not to say anything, but it had escaped him before he had noticed it.

“What do you mean, Tom?”

“Are you serious?”

“There’s a way to get into the Kitchens?”

He looked from Matthew’s surprised, to James’ and Christopher avidly curious faces and gulped.

“Uhhh, yes. But I’m not really… Supposed to say anything, it’s a House secret the upperclassmen told us on the first week.”

“Wow, Hufflepuff has a House secret?”

“And you didn’t tell me?! That hurts, Tom, I’m a Puff, no matter what that stupid hat says!”

“Uhh… Well, they told us not to tell anyone, but you are my friends so if you promise this stays between us, I’ll tell.”

“Can we tell Luce once she starts studying here next year no matter what house she ends up on?”

“Oh, yes, to Lucie sure.”

It didn’t take one second for the other three to agree and nod eagerly.

“Promise.”

“Scout’s honour.”

“What is scout’s honour?” Chris asked Matthew.

“Something papa taught me, I’ll explain later, now what’s the secret, Tom.”

“Well, if you take the stairs down to the Hufflepuff Common Room, just under the Great Hall, there’s a wall with the painting of a fruit bowl in it and in it there’s a pear. If you just kind of tickle the pear, it will turn into a door handle and when you turn it it’s the entrance to the kitchens.”

“Fascinating!”

“Let’s go try it right now!”

The other three boys rushed away and Tom ran after them, worry forgotten after a while in their excitement. He laughed delighted at their faces of awe when he led them through the kitchen entrance and they got their food and joked about the feasts they would have from now on as they set their picnic towel and basket by the lake.

In the end, several of other friends from the different houses joined them and they talked and played around the lake all day, only sharing conspiratory looks every time someone asked where the food had come from. By the end of the day, as they walked back into the Castle, Thomas knew that, as problematic and crazy his life at Hogwarts could be sometimes because of them, he wouldn’t trade his friends and the times they spend together for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t think of a way to include everyone, but in my headcanon, the house distribution would be:
> 
> Gryffindor - Matthew, Cordelia, Lucie, Charles, (maybe) Anna.
> 
> Ravenclaw - James, Christopher, (maybe) Anna
> 
> Hufflepuff - Thomas, Barbara, Eugenia, Ariadne
> 
> Slytherin - Grace, Jesse, Alastair, (maybe) Anna
> 
> Really not sure where to put Anna… What do you guys think?


	9. Reencounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sweet reencounter for estranged friends. Warlock James!AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits to lesbianjophiel on Tumblr for the idea of the AU!

Yellow eyes glowed under the flickering lights of the Shadow Market, squared goat pupils reflecting blue, green and red as his tutor, Ragnor Fell, demonstrated some magical fireworks to the gathering crowd. It was a beautiful spectacle, but James was not interested. Instead of looking up at the show, his eyes were fixed on a view that, on his opinion, was more breathtaking than any fireworks could ever be.

Among the crowd of curious downworlders, a boy stood out for not being of any of their kind. He was a Shadowhunter, an angel child, like James once had been too, but that wasn’t the reason James was staring at him. 

He had known him once, years ago, when they had both been young students at the Academy, before James’ life had turned upside down, before things had gotten complicated, before he had accepted Ragnor’s offer to be his warlock apprentice and left the Academy forever. They had been friends, then, or something… Among those lines, but that had been almost five years ago.

And yet, that wasn’t the reason James was staring at him either. He would know the face of Matthew Fairchild anywhere, no matter how much time had passed. He had always been charming, had always been cute, he had always turned the head of girls and boys as he passed, but now… Now he was looking absolutely gorgeous. His hair a bit longer, though always coiffed to perfection, features sharper but still delicate, muscles filling his clothes where before there had been a child’s build. James couldn’t have taken his eyes off him even if he had wanted to.

But maybe he should have, because suddenly the dark green eyes that had been glued to the fireworks were now looking straight back at him and moving between the crowd, walking straight to the booth where James had been waiting, and he seriously considered using his powers to turn himself into a shadow and vanish. Matthew had been able to see him once, but surely that couldn’t be true anymore. But before he could do any movement, he was in front of him, green eyes fixed on goat ones, and he smiled.

“Hullo there, Jamie.”

“Hey…”

“You’ve been looking at me for quite a while now.”

“Uh, yeah, sorry…” James started, awkwardly, but then was interrupted when Matthew continued, face going sad and taking James completely by surprise:

“Do you hate me that much?”

“What?!” James couldn’t help but raise his voice, completely shocked by that turn of events. He didn’t know how Matthew could have even come to that conclusion. “Why do you think that?”

“Well, you really have been shooting holes at me for a while now.” Matthew replied with an awkward, resigned laugh, as if he was used and sure about being the cause of others’ unhappiness. James hated hearing that tone, but he hated the sad edge to it as he continued even more. “And… if I hadn’t been teasing you that day at the Academy, then you wouldn’t have… Nothing would have happened and you would still be… I can’t help but feel like I started that whole chain of events and then I couldn’t protect you from it… I’m sorry.”

James’ mouth couldn’t fall more if he tried. He didn’t know what he was more surprised about, that Matthew thought all that to begin with or that he had kept that with himself through all these years, waiting to meet James again so he could apologise. It sent a weird heavy feeling through James’ heart that he couldn’t describe, but he knew he didn’t like it. He had always, and still hated the idea of the other being in any pain.

“No, Matthew, no. Please, nothing of that was your fault. It was bad timing, and then it was the fault of small-minded, prejudiced people, as you used to say yourself. I never blamed you. You were there for me after, you were my best friend! Besides, you got it all backwards. I am not sad or angry or resentful, I decided to go with Ragnor by myself and it’s been great learning about magic and travelling the world and… Sure, I miss my family sometimes, but I don’t really miss being a Shadowhunter, and I can visit them when I want. So please take that worry out of your head.”

Matthew didn’t seem convinced, he pursed his lips and looked down.

“You have never come to visit me, though…”

The knife was sure and twisted deep on James’ heart.

“I guess… Some things really were too painful to handle losing over and over again.”

Their eyes crossed again. Matthew’s seemed surprised and confused, but it was Matthew, he always looked on the bright side of things, and soon a smile opened on his face again.

“So you don’t hate me?”

James smiled back, and chuckled, putting a hand on his arm.

“I don’t hate you. Come, sit down with me, we have a lot to catch up on.”

Matthew’s smile grew even wider.

“You know what, Jamie, I guess I will.”

Up in the sky, the fireworks' show kept going, but down at the market, now more than ever, James only had eyes for one thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Have a Heronchild prompt? Leave it at [ heronchildlove.tumblr.com](https://heronchildlove.tumblr.com/ask) that I will get to it asap!
> 
> Want a prompt for any other TSC characters or ship? Then leave it at [nandawrites.tumblr.com](nandawrites.tumblr.com)!


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